Dean Foods, the largest milk company in the US, has filed for bankruptcy. This is because there’s been a decline in the US consumption of cow milk.
More and more companies that offer dairy-free milk have been overtaking the market. In fact, oat milk has contributed to $52 million in sales last year, according to Nielsen data. On the other hand, the sale of cow milk reduced 2.4 percent in this amount of time.
According to the company’s CEO, Eric Beringause, they’re still influenced by a challenging operating environment characterized by a decline in milk consumption.
Since 1975, cow milk intake has dropped 50 percent.
Why Are more and more People Turning to Dairy-Free?
Animal cruelty is one of the major reasons why people are giving up on dairy.
Unfortunately, milk production requires forceful cow impregnation so that milk production can happen. Moreover, newborn cattle are taken from mothers to be used for meat and the milk to be drained from the cows.
Cows also live in horrible conditions and are exposed to emotional and physical terror. Factory farming is abusive and people are noticing this now more than ever before.
Another reason is that people are trying to help the earth- sadly; the Amazon rainforest is being destroyed because of the need for land for animals to graze and farmers to produce meat and dairy.
This is polluting our earth, our nature, and our waters. Plus, 90 percent of soy is leading to deforestation and it’s used for animal feed, not for humans.
The health aspects of its consumption are also concerning- overconsumption of dairy milk was associated with higher mortality rates. And, unlike what it was thought by now, it actually makes our bones more prone to fractures, not less.
If we take a look at other animals that don’t drink the milk of another animal, it’s due to the fact that they lack the needed enzymes to dissolve the sugar. And, we’re no different- so, this is why lactose intolerance is 90 percent present in our population.
As humans, we never had this enzyme and so we had to develop the LTC gene through mutation. This gene allows us processing lactose as adults. So, this is against what’s natural, right?
Could Dairy Milk Become Part of the Past?
Despite CEO’s claims that they did their best to make their business more cost-efficient and agile, they’re still facing problems because of the reduction in dairy milk intake.
And, numerous drinks, sodas and teas, have led to this. As well as numerous yogurts, bars, and other on-the-go breakfasts appearing on the daily, and thus, completely removing milk out of the picture.
But, not all dairy’s been impacted negatively- the intake of cheese and butter in the US is on the rise since the 1996.
Dean has 16000 employees and 60 facilities throughout the country. On a daily basis, it runs 8000 refrigerated delivery trucks on the roads of the US.
It supplies milk for brands like TruMoo, Dairy Pure, and Meadow Gold, and numerous store brands.
The company will continue working normally while they put their finances in order. The filing for bankruptcy comes at challenging times for dairy farmers who were already facing low prices due to oversupply.
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